Clutch controlling device



May' 20,'1947. H BARRAS v2,420,767

CLUTCH CONTROLLING DEVICE Original Filed April 25, 1944 IWI/m] IHHHHHI-l i 7 Inventor Her-erf ,Bagrr By g'fgz Attorneys Patented May 20, 1947UNITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a controlling device for power-operatedmachines, and the present.

application is a division of my application for U. S. Letters` PatentSerial No. 532,622, filed April 25, 1941i, and now Patent No. 2,375,205,issued lviay 8, 19%5, upon Piling and loading machine.

Broadly stated, the present invention contemplates the provision of adevice whereby the operator of a power-driven machine may readily andeffectively actuate a control member of the machine by leaningbackwardly while occupying the operators seat of the machine.

`More Specifically, the present invention contemplates the provision oia device of the above kind for use in connection with machines havingother control members requiring use oi both hands and both feet of theoperator and making it necessary to provide means, operable other thanby the feet or hands, for actuating the control member in question.

Still more specically, the present invention contemplates the provisionof a controlling device ci the above kind for use in connection with aportable machine embodying a motor vehicle having an engine, driving andsupporting wheels, and a normally disengaged clutch for controllingtransmission of power from the engine to said driving and supportingwheels', the deviceincluding a rearwardly yielding member disposed toengage the back of the operator when occupying the operators seat of themachine and operatively connected to the operating or control lever ofthe clutch for engaging the latter and causing travel oi the'machinewhen the yieldable member is moved rearwardly by the mere act oi leaningbackwardly on the part of the operator.

More specific objects and features of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description when considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings, and the invention consists in the novel form,combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described,shown in the drawings and claimed.

in the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicatecorresponding parts in both of the views:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a piling and loading machineequipped with a controlling device constructed in accordance with thepresent invention, and

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the operators seat ofthe machine shown in Figure l, together with part of the means foroperatively connecting the 'back rest of said seat with the main clutchwhich transmits power from the engine of the machine to the variousmechanisms of the latter.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the present invention is shown asapplied to a piling and loading machine of the type disclosed in myabove-mentioned application, which machine includes a motor vehiclehaving a bed or platform 5 mounted upon a suitable running gearincluding iront steering :and supporting wheels Ei and rear supportingand driving wheels l. A steering wheel 8 forming part of a suitable orconventional steering mechanism is provided for turning the wheels 6 tosteer the vehicle. A seat for the operator of the machine is provided onthe platform 5 directly behind the steering wheel 8 and may include aseat bottom 9 mounted on a pedestal or standard 9a. Mounted on theplatform 5 is a suitable engine E which, through the medium of anordinary automobile transmission il, drives a rearwardly extending shaftI2. A normally disengaged clutch I4 is provided on shaft l 2 andincludes a part that is normally free of shaft I2 and operativelyconnected by means including a chain gearing 2I to the wheels 1, asdisclosed in my above-mentioned application. The clutch it has a secondpart keyed on shaft l2 and adapted to be actuated for engaging with theinst-mentioned part so as to transmit the drive from shaft l2 to gearing2 I.

For actuating the clutch I4 to engage it, said clutch is operativelyconnected to a back rest or other suitable rearwardly yieldable member23 arranged to engage the back of the operator occupying'the operatorsseat, so that when the operator leans back, engagement of clutch I4 iseffected. For this purpose, the back rest 23 may` be hinged at 24 to therear of the seat bottom 9 and for forward and rearwardswingingrmovement, said back rest being operatively Connected by a link25 with one end of a rock sh'aft 26 whose other end is operativelyconnected to the operating lever L of the clutch I4. As is the case witha normally disengaged clutch, internal spring means is provided fordisengaging it, and this means acts to normally position the back rest23 in a forwardly swung position. Therefore, by simply pressingrearwardly on the back rest 23, the operator may effect engagement ofclutch I4 so as to transmit drive from shaft I2 to chain gearing 'ZI andeiect travel of th'e machine. This is of extreme importance in caseswhere it is necessary to have the operators hands free for other duties,or where both hands and both feet of the operator are occupied inactuating other 3 control members of the machine, such as thoseindicated at 71, 18, 19, 80 and |28.

While a complete and preferably hinged back rest is preferably employedat 23, the member 23 may take other forms and may be supported otherthan by the hinge mounting 24. Also, the specific operative -connectionbetween the member 23 and the controllever L may be widely varied.

In operation, the operator normally leans forwardly when occupying theoperators seat so as to allow clutch vl 4 to assume its normaldisengaged position. However, when travel of the machine is desired, itis simply necessary for the operator to lean rearwardly so as to swingth'e back rest 23 rearwardly and thereby actuate the lever L through theconnections described. In this way, the clutch I4 is readily engaged soas to transmit power from the engine E to the wheels T through the meansincluding chain gearing 2|. When forward travel of the machine is nolonger desired, th'e clutch I4 is allowed to disengage by simply leaningforwardly and thereby relieving pressure on the back rest 23.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction andoperation, as well as the advantages of the present invention, will bereadily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. Changesin details of construction illustrated and described may be resorted to,such as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a power-driven machine having an operators seatand including mechanism, a, motor, and a normally disengaged clutchengageable for connecting and transmitting power from the engine to saidmechanism, said operators seat including a xed seat bottom, said clutchincluding an operating lever, a rearwardly yieldable member arranged toengage the back of the operator when seated upon the seat bottom, andmeans operatively connecting said yieldable member with said operatinglever, whereby the yieldable member will be moved rearwardly by the mereact of the operator leaning backwardly to effect engagement of theclutch, and whereby the yieldable member will be moved forward bydisengagement of the clutch' when the operator leans forwardly.

2. In combination with a power-operated machine including a drivers seathaving a back rest hinged for forward and rearward swinging, and whereinthe machine further includes mechanism, an engine, and a normallydisengaged clutch' engageable for connecting and transmitting power fromthe engine to said mechanism, said clutch including anoperating lever,and means operatively connecting the back rest to said operating leverfor effecting engagement of the clutch upon rearward movement of theback rest in response to backward leaning of the operator occupying theseat, and whereby the back rest will be moved forwardly by disengagementof the clutch when the operator leans forwardly.

3. In combination with a poweroperated ma.- chine including a driversseat having a back rest hinged for forward and rearward swingingmovement, and wherein the machine further includes mechanism, an engine,and a normally disen-l gaged clutch engageable for connecting andtransmitting power from the engine to said mechanism, said clutchincluding an operating lever, and means operatively connecting the backrest to said operating lever for eifecting engagement of the clutch uponrearward movement of the back rest in response to backward leaning ofthe operator occupying the seat, said means for operatively connectingthe back rest to the operating lever including a, link, a rock shaftdisposed transversely of the machine and operatively connected at oneend to one end of the link and at its other end to the operating lever,the other end of said link being pivoted to the back rest.

HERBERT BARRAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis' patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,582,879 Midboe Apr. 27, 19262,256,238 Brown Sept. 16, 1941 2,080,196 Bowen May 1l, 1937 1,541,541Weiss June 9, 1925 2,130,877 Curry Sept. 20, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 479,864 France Feb. 21, 1916

